Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 131: Chapter 129: Grandmaster

Li Hongzhao said, ”Cheng Tianfeng, I am a Grandmaster, and you are Innate. You insisted on fighting, so don’t blame me for bullying the weak!”

”Bring it on!” Cheng Tianfeng snorted, as a flash of sword light suddenly brightened, then his body and the sword merged into one, instantly thrusting towards Li Hongzhao’s chest.

Li Hongzhao chuckled lightly, wielding his sword to meet the attack, the blade shining as bright as lightning.

”Bang!” Suddenly, Li Hongzhao flew out, spitting a mouthful of blood mid-air, creating a misty rain of blood.

With disbelief, Li Hongzhao landed, staggering three steps before steadying himself, gently wiping the corner of his mouth, his phoenix eyes narrowing with a light hum, ”Well done!”

Cheng Tianfeng had already sheathed his sword, saying lightly, ”Pardon my clumsiness.”

”Again!” Li Hongzhao demanded.

Cheng Tianfeng shook his head, ”No need. If I cannot win with one sword strike, I won’t win with more. A Grandmaster truly lives up to the name.”

Li Hongzhao slightly furrowed his elegant brows, discontented, ”Just one sword strike?”

”Back then, Chu Zhiyuan took this very sword strike with ease,” Cheng Tianfeng said, ”so it seems you are not quite his equal.”

Li Hongzhao couldn’t help but smile, ”I’m not as good as him?”

”Although you are a Grandmaster, you are not his match,” Cheng Tianfeng slowly explained, ”He may not be a Grandmaster, yet he can wield Sword Gang, even three points fiercer than this Sword Gang!”

Li Hongzhao scoffed, ”It’s just a fake Gang, easily broken.”

Gang Qi is the union of heart and energy, and there is another way, which is to purify True Qi until it’s entirely pure, equaling the power of Sword Gang.

This Gang Qi is quite powerful, but its flaw is that it cannot last long.

An Innate Master’s True Qi is continuous, but needs to be purified and compressed, ten parts become one, naturally hard to sustain.

It only holds power for one to two strikes.

Cheng Tianfeng said, ”Even a fake Gang is enough to harm you; Your Highness, you must not be careless.”

”With you saying that, I indeed have to experience it,” Li Hongzhao tilted her head with a smile, ”Your trick of diverting misfortune is too straightforward.”

”In front of Your Highness, there’s no need to bother with such schemes,” Cheng Tianfeng smiled.

Li Hongzhao nodded, ”You have a bit of wit.”

With that, she suddenly flashed behind Cheng Tianfeng, striking him into the sky with a palm.

The Lingshuang Iron Cavalry charged like the wind, clearing a space below Cheng Tianfeng among the onlookers.

Cheng Tianfeng tumbled in the air, heading for the ground, barely caught before landing by four Lingshuang Iron Cavalry.

Upon catching him, the four Lingshuang Iron Cavalry were flung out, halted by other Lingshuang Iron Cavalry, yet their faces were flushed, blood surging.

For a moment, their formation was disorganized.

When Cheng Tianfeng stood straight, his green robe was in disarray, hair scattered, looking very disheveled.

He glared at Li Hongzhao with an ashen face.

Li Hongzhao had already chuckled lightly, leaping up like a startled swan and slipping back into the window, landing inside.

...

Xiao Ruoling and Huang Shiron stepped back, clasping their fists with congratulations and laughter.

They could all see that Li Hongzhao had always been very wary of Cheng Tianfeng, yet after taking action, she completely relaxed.

Evidently, the pressure Cheng Tianfeng brought her had vanished.

”Oh, there’s nothing worth congratulating over, for I, a Grandmaster, got injured by an Innate,” Li Hongzhao laughed, ”Even to speak of it is embarrassing.”

Huang Shiron said, ”The Princely Heir must have used some secret technique to unleash potential in one strike, with only that one strike’s power left.”

Li Hongzhao smiled, ”As expected of Sister Huang, your insight is superb. He did indeed use a secret technique, another strike and I couldn’t have blocked it, but injuring me with one strike is also a skill.”

Huang Shiron lightly nodded, ”The Princely Heir is indeed impressive.”

For herself, she might not withstand such a strike.

As a disciple of Wentian Cliff, the most formidable Princely Heir of Da Zhen, Cheng Tianfeng should not be underestimated just because Chu Zhiyuan defeated him easily.

Li Hongzhao looked at Xiao Ruoling, sighing, ”Sister Xiao, your Princely Heir is truly formidable, subdued Cheng Tianfeng, truly makes one wish to see for oneself.”

Cheng Tianfeng, a favored son of heaven, proud and self-assured, with reason and merit to be proud, yet he submitted to Chu Zhiyuan.

”He hasn’t exited seclusion yet,” Xiao Ruoling laughed gently.

In her heart arose feelings of pride and self-satisfaction.

She also understood that Li Hongzhao’s courtesy and closeness were because of Chu Zhiyuan. Without him, no matter her beauty, she wouldn’t receive the same attention.

The Ninth Princess before her was also proud and self-assured.

Of course, with such aptitude and cultivation, pride and arrogance are inevitable.

The Princely Heir just appears calm and humble.

At heart, he is still extraordinarily proud.

”Truly, I wonder when he will exit,” Li Hongzhao sighed.

Xiao Ruoling secretly frowned, as if she couldn’t wait to defeat the Princely Heir.

——

Tingtao Court

Chu Zhiyuan sat on the bed, with the window open, a gentle breeze blowing in, calming and comforting his face.

Yet his expression was grim, as if enduring immense pain, his body trembling, as the breath of twenty-four Binding Dragon Ropes surged within him.

Initially, he could exert the Binding Dragon Rope to its maximum by hiding twelve breaths within twelve meridians, which would then surge toward the Ren Meridian when releasing, impacting the Jade Tower at the throat.

He could only condense twelve Binding Dragon Ropes at most; otherwise, he couldn’t control them.

After the Fourth Layer Marrow Refining success, he attained the Divine Dragon’s Thought, and in wielding the Binding Dragon Rope, it was like directing his arm at will, with full control.

He no longer charged at the Jade Tower in the original way but condensed twenty-four Binding Dragon Ropes, hiding two in each meridian.

Twelve Binding Dragon Ropes per round, two rounds in total, succeeding one another.

When the first round was finished and dispersed, it was forced back into the twelve meridians.

At this, the second round would take over in charging; when the second round failed and returned to the twelve meridians, the first dispersed round was reorganized, ready to take over the charge.

Like two troops alternating in assault, the efficiency increased dramatically.

Originally estimated at ten days, now in just five days, the signs of the Jade Tower’s collapse were visible, cracks appearing.

”Boom!”

Thunder Shock exploded, golden light flashing before his eyes.

The cracks in the Jade Tower suddenly widened, then crumbled, leaving only a phantom.

As the phantom faded, the entire twelve layers of the Jade Tower disappeared from his body.

In the Ren Meridian, there was no longer any constraint or obstruction.

Immediately, True Qi surged, more substantial and purer, with strange halos flashing before his eyes that seemed circular, yet also triangular.

As the True Qi surged, the Great Purple Sun Technique coursed grandly within him, and the halos before him continued to change.

From shapes, they started turning into various animals.

Finally, becoming a Divine Dragon.

The Divine Dragon seemed to be roaring in the cosmos; he then discovered a copper tower appearing between his Dantian and Shan Zhong.

A nine-story copper tower.

Compared to the Jade Tower, this copper tower was larger, more vivid, and heavier, its walls covered with various strange patterns.

Nine layers of the tower, yet taller and bigger than the original twelve layers.

Looking at this copper tower, a natural sense of awe emerged, leading to a daunting feeling, perceiving the tower as unshakeable and indestructible.

Everlasting and eternal.

He opened his eyes, clear and spirited, glancing around no longer revealing a sharp gleam, the sharpness now absent.

A single step into Grandmaster!

He looked upward.

He hadn’t expected his Dharma Form to be a Divine Dragon.

Three feet in the void, a Divine Dragon faintly appeared.

Originally believed that the Dharma Form was condensed from Martial Arts, now it seemed it was not Martial Arts at all.

In numerous Martial Arts Secrets, there’s no mention of Dharma Form.

Evidently, they cannot see the existence of Dharma Form, only visible through the Insight of Super Sense.