Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 557: Chapter 554: Drive Forward

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Chu Zhiyuan shook his head continuously.

These Evil Sect demons have mediocre cultivation, with few Grandmasters.

Otherwise, at this moment, the Sealing God Realm might have been raised to perfection.

Killing so many demons, the improvement in the Sealing God Realm is negligible.

More Grandmasters are needed to make a difference.

How can more Grandmasters be lured here?

Or should I find a way to search for them myself?

Seated by the stone table in Chu Zhiyuan’s small courtyard, Zou Fang served tea and stepped aside.

Xiao Ruoling had also exited, returning to her own courtyard to converse with Xu Yingying and Shen Hanyue.

The small courtyard fell into silence.

Lanterns illuminated the courtyard brightly, making the bright moon in the sky appear dim.

Chu Zhiyuan rotated the teacup, lost in thought.

Zhao Rongfei and Wan Bicheng replayed the earlier scene in their minds.

Along the way, Evil Sect demons had sprung out time and again.

But no matter how fast they were, they couldn’t outrun the flying knife.

In front of the flying knife, they seemed to be courting death, wave after wave going forth to meet their doom.

They seemed insane, unafraid of death, truly terrifying.

If it were me facing these people, could I be so composed?

The answer was obvious, it would be difficult.

Among these Evil Sect demons, there were Grandmasters, with no fewer than two in each encounter.

Two Grandmaster experts from the Evil Sect, especially those unafraid of death, were extremely frightening.

They looked like they were courting death because they hadn’t had the chance to use the Jade and Stone Burning technique.

Thinking of this, they looked at Chu Zhiyuan, increasingly handsome and serene like a deep pool under the lamplight.

He constantly endures assassinations from the Evil Sect, always under the threat of assassination, a situation that could drive anyone to collapse, yet he remains unflinching.

This involuntarily fills them with admiration.

Zhao Rongfei sighed, ”The assassinations by the Evil Sect demons are unending, the Princely Heir has had a hard time.”

Chu Zhiyuan laughed, ”It’s just right; they come to my door, saving me the trouble of searching everywhere.”

Zhao Rongfei shook his head, ”Them coming to assassinate us feels different from our pursuit and slaying.”

Wan Bicheng nodded, ”Indeed not the same, Princely Heir, let me experience the flying knife.”

”Be careful.” Chu Zhiyuan hadn’t put down the teacup when a flying knife flew out from his sleeve, suspended above his head.

The exquisitely crafted small knife was transparent, seemingly merging with the lantern light, appearing and disappearing.

It trembled slightly in the air, poised to attack.

Wan Bicheng focused intently on it, slowly drew his sword from the sheath, and said in a deep voice, ”Come!”

The flying knife swiftly flew toward his forehead.

”Swoosh!” Wan Bicheng swung a sword light at the flying knife.

The sword tip accurately pierced the flying knife.

Since meeting Chu Zhiyuan, he had been observing the flying knife, experiencing it, and had simulated countless times in his mind how to pierce the flying knife.

Seeing the sword tip pierce the knife, a smile appeared on his face, but he soon realized something was wrong.

The sword tip had pierced the shadow of the knife.

And the shadow still flew, instantly appearing at his forehead.

He retreated while swinging his sword again.

The sword was fast and again accurately pierced the flying knife, but it was still a shadow.

This time, the shadow of the flying knife also accelerated, already reaching his forehead, stopping an inch away.

A chilling sensation pierced into his forehead as if the flying knife had already sunk in.

No matter how he twisted, retreated, or bent, he couldn’t evade it.

It was inseparable.

”This...” He reached out, touching the flying knife.

Finding the knife as cold as ice, real and tangible.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled, ”How is it?”

”This is...” Wan Bicheng was extremely puzzled, beyond reason.

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”This is the reality and illusion; one must have a deeper understanding of the Sword Technique to grasp it.”

”Reality... illusion...” Wan Bicheng murmured to himself.

The flying knife lightly drilled back into his sleeve.

He looked at Zhao Rongfei.

Zhao Rongfei said, ”My swordsmanship isn’t as good as Lao Wan’s, even worse, but I’d also like to learn about this way of reality and illusion in the Sword Technique.”

”Then be careful.” Once again, a phantom flew out from Chu Zhiyuan’s sleeve.

Zhao Rongfei drew his sword, and the flash of the sword light slashed down, hitting the flying knife, but only cut a shadow; the shadow of the knife accelerated instantly, clinging to his forehead.

He felt the sword light as if it was real, as if it had already pierced into his forehead.

He instantly froze, eyes wide like a startled chick, staring at the knife.

The knife blade was nearly transparent, with intricate patterns faintly appearing, lightly trembling, ready to strike.

He took a deep breath, sheathed the sword, and reached out to touch the flying knife.

The touch of the knife was cold, the chill penetrating his palm, spreading through half his body.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled, ”This is the way of reality and illusion; if swordsmanship or Sword Technique can grasp this realm, it’s almost enough.”

”The way of reality and illusion...” Zhao Rongfei sighed, feeling he couldn’t comprehend it.

Too bizarre.

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”I comprehended this during the Grandmaster period.”

Both were startled, then understanding dawned.

They remembered only then, Chu Zhiyuan was a Great Grandmaster.

Oddly, when Chu Zhiyuan acted, there was no presence, not feeling the pressure of a Great Grandmaster at all.

As members of the Four Great Sects, they certainly knew the presence of a Great Grandmaster.

Once these Great Grandmasters acted, the overwhelming presence was like substance, not allowing approach.

Yet, Chu Zhiyuan was calm and unruffled, with no presence to speak of, not even of a Grandmaster.

This was a stronger control over one’s aura, able to expand and retract freely.

The two sat down again.

Zhao Rongfei asked about Chu Zhiyuan’s experience of slaughtering the Evil Sect demons.

Chu Zhiyuan narrated how he killed the Evil Sect in the Eastern Territory, then what happened after reaching Yujing City, and then how he went to the Evil Sect’s Main Altar to massacre.

”The Evil Sect is not invincible; their Main Altar can be destroyed. The only concern is that they have Main Altars in all three dynasties.”

”I came this time to negotiate with Da Meng on jointly exterminating the Evil Sect, then bring in Da Zhen so our three dynasties can unite to destroy their Main Altars, thus completely eradicating the Evil Sect.”

”Exactly!” Zhao Rongfei slapped the table, ”The three dynasties should jointly annihilate them!”

The Evil Sect’s power lay in their cunning havens; if one was destroyed, the other two dynasties’ Main Altars could quickly support and rebuild.

Thus, they could never be completely eradicated, leading to despair.

If the three dynasties could unite in heart, working together, it would be possible to uproot them entirely.

This would truly be in the interests of the nation and its people!

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”But this matter faces many obstacles, the first being within the Court.”

Both frowned.

”The Court shouldn’t obstruct this cooperation, right?” Zhao Rongfei was puzzled.

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”This proposal was made a hundred years ago but has never been achieved. Da Meng and Da Jing have always been antagonistic; what cooperation is there?”

He shook his head, ”Da Meng looks down on our Da Jing, always feeling Da Jing is weak, the Da Jing Court incompetent, unable to deal with the Evil Sect.”

Zhao Rongfei and Wan Bicheng exchanged glances, unable to refute.

It wasn’t just others, they themselves felt the same, thinking the Da Jing Court was incompetent, too lenient with Martial Arts experts, leading to domestic disorder.

The Military Suppression Department was far less effective than the Sky-Chasing Divine Constables.

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”To promote the achievement of this proposal, it requires the joint effort of insightful people from both dynasties.”

”I will mention this to the Sect Master and the elders within the sect,” Zhao Rongfei said, ”to have the sect promote this proposal.”

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”Back in Yujing City, I led the Evil Sect demons to execution, drawing many Court officials to submit objections. Wherever the Evil Sect demons went, like locusts passing through, it always resulted in destruction and slaughter.”

”Enduring long pain is worse than short pain!” Zhao Rongfei said solemnly, ”Can’t they see this?”

”It’s not that they can’t see it, but they don’t believe.” Chu Zhiyuan said, ”They don’t believe we can truly eradicate the Evil Sect, thinking killing a batch would only bring more, and there’s no need to do such pointless things.”

Zhao Rongfei slowly nodded.

Wan Bicheng nodded, ”Indeed they won’t believe it.”

Without witnessing Chu Zhiyuan’s miraculous flying knife personally, they certainly wouldn’t believe Chu Zhiyuan could truly destroy the Evil Sect.

”Then we can only let them see for themselves how fragile the Evil Sect is and not so frightening.” Chu Zhiyuan said.

Zhao Rongfei frowned, ”The City Guard will probably think of ways to restrict the Princely Heir’s movements.”

He had already seen the distressed faces of the City Guards, their faces bitter.

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”I’ll just ignore them. They don’t dare to truly bind me.”

Zhao Rongfei lamented, ”To annihilate the Evil Sect, one must face not only the Evil Sect but also opposition from those around them...”

Wan Bicheng said in a deep voice, ”I will strive to persuade the Sect Master!”

Zhao Rongfei said, ”I will also try, to see if I can help weaken some opposition within the Court.”

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”I have always felt that the existence of Evil Sect demons is a great mockery of the world’s beauty; they should not exist. Those Venerable were originally Outer Heaven Demons. How can we allow them to wreak havoc so wantonly?”

”Exactly!” Both nodded solemnly.

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