Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 1356 - 1352: What Was Seen

The previous account has not been settled yet; so many people were killed!

These monsters, although defeated, fled back to Dan Yang Heaven and did not atone with their lives.

This truly leaves one feeling stifled.

"Brother Chu, can you find a way to completely annihilate them?"

Chu Zhiyuan pondered.

An elder spoke, "We need to use a spiritual artifact, one specifically for destroying souls."

Huang Zhengyang looked at him, "Elder Wu, is there such an artifact?"

"The Court has one," the round-faced elder said. "However, its power is too strong and is rarely used."

"Even this artifact may not work," another elder interjected.

Huang Zhengyang looked over.

The elder remarked, "This type of artifact can’t be activated quickly enough. Moreover, these monsters move too fast; they might escape before we can act."

"That’s right," a third elder added, "These monsters’ secret techniques are bizarre, both offensively and defensively astonishing. Otherwise, they wouldn’t withstand our array... Our array can destroy souls, but it was blocked by that flower. To annihilate their souls, the spiritual artifact must be precisely activated as they flee."

Huang Zhengyang frowned, "So, there’s no way to kill them completely?"

"It’s difficult," an elder shook his head.

The remaining five elders also shook their heads, murmuring, "Difficult, difficult, difficult."

Huang Zhengyang looked at Chu Zhiyuan.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled silently.

Seeing his expression, Huang Zhengyang felt relieved.

He knew Chu Zhiyuan; such an expression meant confidence and that he could completely kill these monsters.

He thought for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Elders, let’s retreat first, leave this place to avoid those monsters coming back."

"Better to guard this place," Elder Wu said. "If we leave and the monsters return, the villagers might be doomed."

"In our current state, if monsters come, we might not be able to protect ourselves," another elder pointed out.

"Not necessarily; if there’s just one, we can hold them off."

"Once the array is removed, even one monster might overwhelm us."

"No problem with one; two would be tough."

"I think two is manageable. We don’t aim to kill, just to drive them away."

"What good is driving them away? They will return!"

...

Chu Zhiyuan looked at Huang Zhengyang, "Brother Huang, let the elders rest; I’ll stay."

"Alright." Huang Zhengyang agreed without hesitation, then turned and said, "Elders! Elders!"

He raised his voice to suppress the elders’ argument, "Brother Chu will stay; we’ll leave first!"

"Xiao Chu stays, not leaving?"

"Xiao Chu staying is reassuring."

"Xiao Chu, what sword do you wield? Its power is immense!"

"Just the Heavenly Sword... Elders, please leave first, to avoid undermining our strength." Chu Zhiyuan chuckled.

"Heavenly Sword... The Heavenly Sword of the Heavenly Sword Sect isn’t this strong. Is it another secret technique?"

"Yes." Chu Zhiyuan smiled.

"Hey, Xiao Chu, are you keeping secrets?"

"I beg your pardon, elders." Chu Zhiyuan smiled.

Regarding the Golden Sword, he preferred not to elaborate, especially since once mentioned, they would inquire endlessly, which could drag on indefinitely.

"Alright then, we shall leave."

"We can travel ten miles away, find a place to recuperate, and then return."

"Indeed."

Huang Zhengyang hastily added, "If we don’t return promptly, the Court might think something happened; let’s head back first."

"That’s true."

"Better to go back and rest; recovery will be quicker."

"Alright, let’s go."

...

Chu Zhiyuan watched them disappear, then turned and drifted to their battlefield.

The ground had been plowed over many times.

All around was quiet, with a gentle breeze wafting through.

The village at the foot of the mountain remained peaceful and serene with smoke curling up from chimneys.

The battle of the transparent roses and six giant beasts seemed like a fantasy.

Chu Zhiyuan stood with his hands behind his back on a bluestone, looking down at the stone’s patterns.

From inside out, as if it were natural texture,

resembling a blooming rose.

Chu Zhiyuan’s face grew solemn.

His mind drifted back to what he saw in Dan Yang Heaven.

Following that shaft of light upward, his heart and spirit traversed through layers of mist, passed countless twisted rays, finally entering a valley.

In the bustling valley, buildings stood side by side, stretching inside and out.

At the very center lay a grand hall.

The grand hall was shaped like a rose.

On the spacious square outside the hall stood nine circular elongated high platforms.

The nine platforms were staggered, forming a petal shape.

Viewed from above, it resembled a blooming rose.

This rose exuded a gentle sheen, which emanated from these nine platforms.

The platforms were made of an unusual material, akin to mutton fat jade, glowing with luster.

On these nine platforms, sat three middle-aged men.

The three handsome middle-aged men sat cross-legged, motionless as if in meditation.

Three beams of light appeared, shooting towards their foreheads.

"Puff!"

"Puff!"

"Puff!"

The three spewed blood arrows consecutively, their faces instantly as pale as paper.

They suddenly became listless, languid, as if their bones had turned to mush.

In an instant, as if they’d aged ten years.

"Huff..."

"Huff... Huff..."

They gasped for breath as if fish gasping on land, striving to breathe.

After a long time, they slowly managed to speak.

Yet their words were dry and unpleasant: "Is this a trap?"

"Hmm, it’s a trap."

"How is this possible? Who could predict where we’d appear?"

"Seems we underestimated Biyuan Heaven’s prowess."

"Could it be a coincidence?"

"Impossible to be a coincidence; how can it be so convenient!"

"What’s really happening..."

"Could there be a traitor?"

"Traitor..."

"A few days ago, Senior Brother Luo descended, and he too barely escaped."

"Senior Brother Luo wouldn’t have confessed."

"If not Senior Brother Luo, then what happened?"

"Let’s ask Senior Brother Luo!"

The three wobbled down the platforms, staggering a few steps, almost falling.

They shook their heads, realizing their weakness had reached such a level.

Yet weakness did not hinder their pursuit of the truth. Wobbling, they left the square and reached a hundred meters away to a small courtyard, knocking on the door.

The courtyard door quickly opened, revealing a handsome middle-aged man.

He opened the courtyard door, puzzled at the three, seeing their weakened state, he frowned immediately.

Feeling familiar, hesitantly he said, "Junior Brother Qin, what’s...?"

The leading middle-aged man spoke solemnly, "Senior Brother Luo, we descended to Biyuan Heaven and were ambushed."

"Ambushed?" the handsome middle-aged man queried skeptically, "Why would they ambush you, knowing you’d go there? They couldn’t have known the location, right?"

"Impossible," the three exchanged glances, shaking their heads.

"That’s strange," the handsome middle-aged man frowned, "come in and talk."

"Sorry to disturb you, Senior Brother Luo."

The three entered the courtyard without ceremony.

Chu Zhiyuan’s gaze followed them inside, staying by their side.

Once at the stone table in the courtyard’s flower garden, after sitting, the three couldn’t wait to ask what happened.

After listening to the handsome middle-aged man, the three also recounted their experiences.

"It’s peculiar, as if they were waiting for us, Senior Brother Luo, what do you think the problem is?"

"That would be a Treasure that glimpses fate," the handsome middle-aged man’s face grew serious, "It foresaw the future, saw when and where we’d appear... very troublesome."

"So, we can’t go to Biyuan Heaven anymore?"

"Try a couple more times; if it’s the same, then we can’t return to Biyuan Heaven."

"Alas... we can’t in under a month."