Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 1369 - 1365: Destruction

The two of them finally arrived at the cluster of small courtyards closest to the depths of the valley.

Surrounded by trees, three rows of small courtyards stood in neat order.

Three courtyards in each row, twelve in total.

The architectural style of each courtyard was different: some had blue tiles and white walls, some glazed roofs, some yellow tiles and red walls.

As if styles from all regions had been gathered here, ready to receive guests from every place.

Zhu Lingyun picked a plain little courtyard with blue tiles and white walls, disliking the other ones as too gaudy.

Mo Huaiyuan stretched out his hand and summoned two graceful young girls from afar, smiling. "Mr. Zhu, if you need anything, just call on them."

Zhu Lingyun looked at the two girls and smiled. "Are these also disciples of your Divine Sect?"

"Yes, they just entered the sect and are still in the stage of tempering their character."

"Truly a waste of heavenly treasures." Zhu Lingyun sized up the two girls and shook his head, unimpressed. "Such fine jade and good timber, squandered like this."

"Haha..." Mo Huaiyuan laughed. "Precisely because they are fine jade and good timber, they must be properly polished. Otherwise they’re nothing but two stubborn rocks."

Zhu Lingyun looked regretful, and gave the two girls a slight nod. "I’ll be troubling you, young ladies."

"Sir, there’s no need to be so polite." The two girls cupped their fists and smiled charmingly.

One was slender, the other plump and full; both walked up to chat with him with a natural familiarity. "Sir, may we know your honored name, and where you hail from?"

Zhu Lingyun gave his name and that he came from Biyuan Heaven.

The slender girl giggled. "Biyuan Heaven—are there any interesting things there?"

Zhu Lingyun looked at Mo Huaiyuan. "They haven’t been to Biyuan Heaven?"

"They don’t know of this." Mo Huaiyuan said, "This is a secret within the sect."

"Then haven’t I spoken out of turn?" Zhu Lingyun apologized. "Loose lips and too many words invite mistakes. Pardon me, pardon me."

"Since they know, then they know." Mo Huaiyuan glared at the two girls. "You two, swallow everything you just heard into your stomachs. You’re not allowed to babble about it to your fellow disciples!"

"Yes, rest assured, Master Mo, our mouths are the tightest." The two girls answered with laughing voices.

Mo Huaiyuan waved his hand.

The two girls retreated lightly, in the blink of an eye disappearing into the nearby woods.

Mo Huaiyuan stepped forward and pushed open the courtyard gate, went around the screen wall, and pointed to a jade plate beside the front hall. "If you need them, just knock on that once."

Zhu Lingyun nodded.

Mo Huaiyuan smiled. "Mr. Zhu, you may wander freely between the central great hall and here. Beyond the central great hall, outsiders are forbidden to set foot."

"Oh—?" Zhu Lingyun smiled. "I had thought guests would be quartered on the outer rim of the valley. Your sect does just the opposite—interesting."

"Mr. Zhu, I shall take my leave first." Mo Huaiyuan cupped his fists.

Zhu Lingyun also cupped his fists. "My thanks, Mr. Mo. Please."

Mo Huaiyuan turned and left with a smile.

Once he turned around, the expression on his face sank.

Zhu Lingyun saw it clearly, shook his head, and looked over this small courtyard.

Super Sensing Illumination penetrated beneath the bluestone slab at the center of the courtyard, where several Jade Pendants were buried.

Patterns were carved on every Jade Pendant.

Besides the center of the courtyard, underneath the bedroom and the study as well, Jade Pendants with carved patterns were buried in the same way.

The Jade Pendants had already completely enshrouded this little courtyard, covering every corner.

He frowned slightly.

The power of these Jade Pendants was very likely connected with that power in the Void, drawing and guiding the power from there to attack or bind those within the courtyard.

This was less a guest courtyard, and more a cage.

Once you entered here, you became a bird in a cage.

His Super Sense continued its Insight.

Mo Huaiyuan went to find Zhou Tianji and joined up with the other seven; nine in all, they stood atop the nine high platforms before the central great hall.

Once the nine of them had taken their positions upon the high platforms, they stood solemnly still, motionless.

Zhu Lingyun watched with curious Insight, observing their every movement and change in aura.

As they stood still, the aura around their bodies began to retract and condense, coming into contact with the jade patterns beneath their feet.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, their auras completely merged with the high platforms beneath them.

The nine of them almost simultaneously formed handprints.

As soon as the handprints were formed, the patterns within the platforms began to faintly flicker, as if streams of light were wandering within the lines.

Their handprints changed almost in unison, and in one breath they formed nine handprints in succession.

Each of the nine handprints caused the flowing light within the patterns to grow more intense.

At the same time, the patterns inside the central great hall also began to light up, echoing the patterns on the high platforms from afar.

Zhu Lingyun’s spirit stirred.

The true subtleties of this Array were unfolding before his very eyes.

The nine experts of the Flower God Sect served as a bridge, linking the power of the high platforms and the great hall.

He felt this was not enough.

This was only the beginning.

Just as he had expected, once the power of the great hall and high platforms had merged, it turned into a pure white pillar of light, piercing straight up into the sky.

The next moment, the Void where the light pillar plunged in rippled in layers, like wind stirring the surface of a lake.

The pillar of light vanished, and the ripples shone with shimmering radiance.

The radiance grew stronger and stronger, gently undulating, then suddenly contracted and condensed into a white flower.

Pure and flawless, as though congealed from moonlight.

The white flower radiated a gentle glow that spread to cover the nine high platforms.

The high platforms turned transparent, and they too became transparent, ethereal.

"Crack!"

A crisp sound suddenly rang out, shattering this dreamlike scene.

"Crack!"

"Crack!"

"Crack!"

...

Crisp sounds came one after another from the high platforms: first from the leftmost platform, then the one next to it, then the next, until finally all the platforms sounded.

The nine high platforms had already changed from White Jade to crystal, yet a fine crack clearly appeared on each.

The crack appeared at the very center of each platform, right between their feet, neither to the side nor askew, pointing straight at their center of balance.

"No—!"

Zhou Tianji’s face suddenly changed drastically, and he let out a furious roar.

The remaining eight had not yet reacted; even Mo Huaiyuan failed to react before their eyes. The nine high platforms suddenly exploded, turning into nine blazing balls of white light.

Like nine suns falling, they lit up the entire valley.

Every disciple of the Flower God Sect clearly felt the eruption of a violent power spreading out with the blinding white light.

"Rumble..."

"Bang bang bang bang..."

"Ah!"

"Aaah!"

Thuds, screams, howls, tremors... all kinds of sounds melded together.

Zhu Lingyun had already shifted in advance, appearing by the base of the wall inside the small courtyard house.

When the white light reached it, the walls of the courtyard crumbled like they were built from powder.

The ornamental rockery in the courtyard scattered like bean curd dregs, and the flowers and plants turned to dust drifting in the air.

His bedroom was likewise blasted to pieces.

The next instant, Chu Zhiyuan appeared in front of him.

His whole body surged with power, the Golden Sword flashed into being before his chest, releasing an invisible force that blocked the impact of that power.

Chu Zhiyuan could feel the purity and violent ferocity of this power; it was like some power from a higher Realm.

"Bang!" Zhu Lingyun spat out a Blood Arrow.

His face instantly turned deathly pale; he then sat down cross-legged and began Operating his cultivation to regulate breath and heal his injuries.

If not for Chu Zhiyuan intercepting it, if not for the Golden Sword dissipating most of the force, that one blast could have cost him half his life.

Chu Zhiyuan did not wish to take such a deadly risk; joining forces to block it was the only safe way.

His expression was grave as the Golden Sword slowly floated back into its sheath.

His Super Sense continued its Insight, especially into this strange power.

He felt this power was worth careful Insight and analysis; it had already surpassed the level of a Venerable, very likely akin to a Spirit Venerable.

So this was the power of a Spirit Venerable?

He used Insight to observe, to feel, to analyze, watching it rampage through the whole valley.

He watched how it ravaged objects, how it shredded True Yuan, how it destroyed fleshly bodies.

At the same time, he analyzed how he himself might be able to achieve this degree; could the Taihao Jade Void Scripture allow him to reach such a level?

The next moment, he vanished in a flash, returning to within the Heaven-Reaching Sect to avoid alerting a Spirit Venerable or being followed by one.

Zhu Lingyun took his place, continuing the Insight and analysis.