Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 106: Chapter 104: The Four Spirits

”Yes.” Everyone nodded helplessly.

They could sense Chu Zhiyuan’s nonchalance.

Yao Yue Palace and Jiuli Divine Sect are among the four major demon sects, the top sects in the world, yet in the eyes of the princely heir, they don’t seem that important.

Only the princely heir would have this kind of spirit.

After all, no matter how powerful the four major demon sects are, they wouldn’t easily provoke the princely heir.

The princely heir isn’t worried about them, but about those from the Evil Sect, those fiends who don’t care about princely heirs, and some of them even specifically target the princely heir.

”Your Highness, if you acquire the token from Yao Yue Palace, what will you ask for?” Guo Chi asked.

Gao Jiong and the other two immediately showed interest.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled: ”Me? ... I’d ask them to send a few Grandmasters as guards.”

”Your Highness, with us four Grandmasters, plus Butler Zou, that makes five Grandmasters, isn’t that enough?” Guo Chi laughed.

Other princes or princely heirs have just two Grandmasters, no more than four at most.

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”For guards, the more the better, of course.”

In this new life, I aim to become a Great Grandmaster, to have a long lifespan, to enjoy wealth and glory. If along the way I get harmed by the Evil Sect or get schemed against by others, that would be too unjust.

The stronger the guards, the better.

The stronger the guards, the more peace of mind I have.

Certain, then calm; calm, then wise; wise, then insightful.

Thus, the speed of cultivation is faster.

”By the way, how is your training with the battle array going?” Chu Zhiyuan asked.

The four of them immediately showed a troubled expression.

They originally thought that this battle array was similar to the military’s, that if soldiers trained it, they would naturally be able to as Grandmasters.

But after practicing for several days, they hadn’t made any progress, unable to grasp the basics.

They felt embarrassed to even mention it.

Chu Zhiyuan laughed: ”Is this Four Spirit Array too difficult?”

”Your Highness, are we just too dull-witted?” Gao Jiong said.

Chu Zhiyuan laughed: ”But you are Grandmasters.”

This Four Spirit Array was carefully selected by him from the Tongtian Pavilion and Mingwu Hall as one of the most powerful arrays, and of course, it became lost because its entry-level is difficult.

The existence of Super Sense makes him the best suited for this type of cultivation technique.

The more intricate and profound the cultivation technique, the harder the entry, the easier it becomes lost.

There are too many factors influencing the entry to a technique, and a slight change in factors can prevent entry, leading to a precipitous decline and eventual loss.

The Four Spirit Array is also the most suitable for the four of them.

Each of their Dharma Forms is different: Guo Chi has the Black Bear, Gao Jiong the White Ape, Ji Dongxiao the Green Snake, and Sun Yanwu the Eagle.

The Small Four Symbols Array is much weaker, the Small Mysterious Origin Array is also inadequate, and the Small Concealed Array is not suitable; the most suitable is this Four Spirit Array.

The Four Spirit Array is indeed extremely difficult to enter.

The most important checkpoint, the iron threshold, is the positioning.

Accurate positioning, paired with exquisite step techniques — once you enter, you can connect hearts just by linking breaths, understanding each other’s thoughts.

”Alright, after we return, I’ll help you practice.”

”Your Highness...”

”Don’t believe I can help?” Chu Zhiyuan laughed.

Guo Chi said: ”We’re idlers; Your Highness, you’re too busy.”

You need to go to Mingwu Hall, handle miscellaneous affairs at the Ministry of Rites, then go to the new mansion for cultivation, and return to Prince Mansion for lunch at noon, typically staying at Prince Mansion in the afternoon to continue cultivating.

In short, compared to their leisure, the princely heir is very busy.

”No matter how busy, it won’t harm to take this time.” Chu Zhiyuan said.

”... Then we’ll trouble Your Highness.” Guo Chi was no longer polite.

The four were full of hope.

Although they were Grandmasters, they feared they would soon be surpassed by the princely heir.

They witnessed the incredible speed of the princely heir’s progress, his outstanding comprehension and aptitude, which were unheard of.

Even the current Emperor, the best among historical emperors, probably didn’t progress as fast in cultivation when he was young compared to the princely heir.

——

In Tingtao Courtyard

The sun had already risen to the eastern mid-sky, its bright light bathing the courtyard’s green trees, green bamboo, and red flowers, creating a beautiful scene.

Chu Zhiyuan stood in the small pavilion with his hands behind his back, right in the sunlight shining into the pavilion.

The four stood in a small martial arts training ground between the pavilion and a patch of green bamboo, soaking in the sunlight, their spirits high, preparing to start practicing the Four Spirit Array.

As soon as they stood properly, Chu Zhiyuan said: ”No, the positioning is wrong.”

The four looked down at their positions, feeling they were not wrong.

The positioning of the Four Spirit Array is not a square; it’s an irregular shape, neither round nor square, with different distances between them.

At first glance, it’s troublesome. They need a ruler to accurately measure the distance between each other, not a bit off.

For the past few days, they had worked hard to master their positions.

As Grandmasters, they have this level of understanding.

But as soon as Chu Zhiyuan came, he said it was wrong.

What Chu Zhiyuan saw was that they were all slightly off, perhaps by only a centimeter or so, but to enter the Four Spirit Array, not the slightest difference was permissible.

Moreover, this distance is not a fixed dead distance; it must be flexible and adaptable, unique to everyone.

It changes based on each one’s cultivation level and mental method.

This is also the root cause why the Four Spirit Array became lost.

Of course, once you enter, the first layer connects the breath, and when forming the array again, you can naturally adjust, sensing the positional deviation through the breath.

Further progress would mean not needing specific positions. As long as you don’t exceed a certain range, you can establish the array.

Chu Zhiyuan stepped forward and pushed Guo Chi slightly. Just as Guo Chi was about to move, Chu Zhiyuan stopped him: ”Don’t move.”

Guo Chi immediately stayed still, letting Chu Zhiyuan move him like a statue. Then it was Ji Dongxiao of the Green Snake Dharma Form, then Gao Jiong of the White Ape Dharma Form, and finally Sun Yanwu of the Eagle Dharma Form.

Chu Zhiyuan moved them all again, nodded satisfactorily: ”Now it’s right, begin.”

He floated back to the pavilion, standing in the sunlight inside, squinting his eyes to observe them as they slowly operated their powers.

The Gang Qi floated out of their bodies and started to merge with each other, quickly becoming one, forming a circle, connecting them all.

Chu Zhiyuan squinted at the void above their heads, noticing the four Dharma Forms were beginning to move closer and closer, eventually standing back to back.

Chu Zhiyuan silently marveled.

This is indeed the renowned Four Spirit Array of ancient times, and it turns out the array is formed by the Dharma Forms, not just them physically!

As the Dharma Forms connected, the four felt their hearts gradually linked, understanding what each other wanted to do, leading to them moving in tandem, like the eight feet of a single person.

Chu Zhiyuan wore a smile, clapping his hands in praise.

The four’s breath linked together, meaning any one of them had to face the attack from four people, and also the defense stacked by the four combined.

The Protective Gang Qi was like armor, and this array was equivalent to putting on four layers of armor, not to mention the offensive power, just the defense itself was much stronger.

This greatly enhanced his sense of security, widening his smile: ”Congratulations, you have entered the first level!”

”Haha... what a great Four Spirit Array!” Guo Chi couldn’t help but laugh loudly.

Once the Four Spirit Array was formed, not only did it make Chu Zhiyuan safer, but the four of them as well. How could they not be happy?

Gao Jiong chuckled: ”Old Ji, if your wife knows we mastered this, she would be overjoyed.”

Ji Dongxiao gave him a sideways glance: ”Old Gao, shut your mouth.”

Gao Jiong laughed twice and turned to say: ”Your Highness, it indeed has to be Your Highness!”

This time they fully experienced the gap in comprehension.

The four of them combined practiced arduously for several days, yet it couldn’t compare to Chu Zhiyuan’s few pointers. The gap in comprehension and aptitude left them in awe.

They sighed inwardly: No wonder Your Highness progresses so quickly.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled and said: ”After entering the Four Spirit Array, there are still two more layers to train in.”

The hardest part of the Four Spirit Array is entering. Once you enter, the rest is perseverance and slow hard work, needing to hone bit by bit.

The second layer doesn’t require specific positioning to form the array, and the third layer covers a broader range.

Under Chu Zhiyuan’s gaze, they practiced tirelessly, unknowingly passing an hour.

To them, an hour felt like just the time for a cup of tea.

Practicing the Four Spirit Array was not the least bit tedious, instead full of joy, as they moved and merged in harmony.

Then, trying their attacks, they found their cultivation had greatly increased, and the power of their swordsmanship had significantly boosted.

This feeling made them obsessed. When the array practice stopped, they felt a sense of loss, returning to reality from something beautiful.

”Alas...”

The four of them sighed in unison, revealing their sense of loss.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled, watching them, his hand grasping the Flying Dragon Bone, the Flying Dragon Ball still on his chest, while the third layer of the Dragon Transformation Technique surged forcefully, with a hint of purple showing in the golden light of his bones.

Chu Zhiyuan speculated that perfection of the third layer would result in purple-gold bones, and it was almost there; his progress was indeed swift.

He discovered a pattern.

Ancient heritage seemed to emphasize rapid achievement.

Once practiced correctly, progress is leaps and bounds, much like a demon technique.

Just like the second layer of the Dragon Transformation Technique, once achieved, the progress into the third layer cannot be slow, with twenty apertures accelerating together, slowing down is impossible.

Chu Zhiyuan said, smiling, ”Train diligently, strive to advance to new heights.”